Italy Announce Squad for Maiden T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign

Italy Announce Squad for Maiden T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign

Italy has officially revealed its 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka. This marks a historic moment as it’s Italy's first-ever participation in this prestigious global cricket tournament

Wayne Madsen has been appointed as the captain of the Italian team for this exciting event. Joining him are some notable players, including former South African international JJ Smuts, along with brothers Harry and Benjamin Manenti, and Anthony and Justin Mosca.

Previously, the team was led by former Australian international Joe Burns during the qualifying campaign. However, he was removed from the captaincy and dropped from the squad at the end of last year. Italy secured their spot in the tournament by finishing second behind the Netherlands in the European regional qualifiers last July.

The coaching team is headed by John Davison with Kevin O'Brien and Douglas Brown lending their expertise as assistants. Peter Di Venuto takes on the role of manager.

In the 2026 T20 World Cup, Italy finds itself in Group C alongside Bangladesh, England, Nepal, and the West Indies. Their journey kicks off with a match against Bangladesh in Kolkata on February 9, followed by a game against Nepal in Mumbai on February 12. They’ll then return to Kolkata to face England on February 16 and the West Indies on February 19.

The tournament itself runs from February 7 to March 8, featuring 20 teams split into four groups of five in the initial round. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage, where they’ll be divided into two groups of four, with the best two from each group moving on to the semi-finals.

Italy's Squad:

Wayne Madsen (c), Marcus Campopiano, Gian Piero Meade, Zain Ali, Ali Hasan, Crishan Jorge, Harry Manenti, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart, Thomas Draca.

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Cricket Ireland rules out venue change amid BCB group-swap reports

Cricket Ireland rules out venue change amid BCB group-swap reports

Representative Image: Ireland ©Getty

Cricket Ireland (CI) has categorically stated that the International Cricket Council will not move their T20 World Cup games out of Sri Lanka. The CI assertion comes in the wake of reports from Bangladesh that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has asked the ICC to swap their groups with Ireland's.

"We've received definitive assurances that we won't move from the original schedule. We're definitely playing the Group Stage in Sri Lanka," an official from CI told Cricbuzz in a statement.

Ireland are placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup alongside co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe and Oman. Bangladesh, who are refusing to travel to India, are placed in Group B alongside West Indies, England, Nepal and Italy with their group games scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) floated the idea of a group swap with Ireland, who play all their games in Sri Lanka, in their meeting with the ICC on Saturday in Dhaka. "Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed," the BCB said.

However, BCB's suggestion does not seem to have cut any ice with the ICC as well as Ireland.

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No Gill, Jitesh for T20 World Cup; Ishan Kishan returns to India T20I squad

No Gill, Jitesh for T20 World Cup; Ishan Kishan returns to India T20I squad

Ishan Kishan had a breakout season in the SMAT with 517 runs in 10 innings ©AFP

Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh have been included in India's 15-man squad for the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in the lead-up to the global event next year. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side while Axar Patel has been named as the vice-captain.

As a result, Shubman Gill, who was vice-captain of the squad until the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, and Jitesh Sharma, have missed the cut. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-man squad for the mega-event from the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday (December 20).

India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh

Axar was vice-captain of the Indian T20I squad until the conclusion of the five-match T20I series against England in January and February before Gill took over the role in India's next T20I assignment at the Asia Cup in September, this year. Gill remained the deputy for Suryakumar in the subsequent Australia and South Africa series as well but Axar will now take over.

Gill had missed the last two T20Is due to a foot injury which he suffered in the nets ahead of the abandoned T20I in Lucknow. But, it wasn't a fruitful year for Gill in T20Is scoring just 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and striking at 137.26 with no fifties or hundreds to show for his efforts.

Kishan, meanwhile, had a breakout season in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he captained Jharkhand to the crown. He scored 517 runs in just 10 innings at 57.32 and struck at a whopping 197.32 in the tournament. He scored two fifties and two hundreds, including a century in the final against Haryana (101 off 49).

The batters include a power-packed lineup of Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Rinku and Kishan. Hardik Pandya who blitzed 63 off 25 balls in the final T20I in Ahmedabad is one among four all-rounders with Axar, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar the other three.

The bowling composition includes three frontline pacers and two frontline spinners. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack while Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are the other two fast-bowlers. The spinners include Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.

Ahead of India attempting to defend their T20 World Cup, India will face New Zealand for three ODIs and five T20Is. The T20I series will be played from January 21 to January 31 in preparation for the marquee event. The squad for the three ODIs, which will be played from January 11 to January 18, will be announced at a later date.

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Red-soil pitch brings fresh intrigue to Barabati opener

Red-soil pitch brings fresh intrigue to Barabati opener

The venue will roll out its first-ever red-soil pitch ©BCCI

There's a first at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. In the chequered history of the venue, it will roll out a red-soil wicket for the first time ever. A touch of red, a hint of green (grass), and a dash of bounce - natural hallmarks of such surfaces - and it should make the pitch ideal for batters, especially in a Twenty20 game. Add a bit of moisture to the mix, and the alchemy is complete: the perfect recipe for a high-scoring contest.

That, of course, is only the theoretical reading, and with it being a new pitch, an element of uncertainty will naturally carry forward with the prognosis. The first Twenty20 International between India and South Africa on Tuesday will, therefore, traverse into largely uncharted territory for this region. The captain winning the toss may still prefer to bowl first, but that choice will come with its own inherent risk.

"Red soil," exclaimed Suryakumar Yadav "And for the first time? I haven't seen it (the pitch) yet - didn't get a chance to go down. I think it should be good. Black soil would have been better, but I feel the red soil will also play well. A red-soil wicket can be quick too. Let's see. If it's fast, that's good," the India skipper analysed.

The Indian team, in its pursuit of the right mix, combinations and balance ahead of the February-March 2026 World Cup, should nonetheless relish these conditions. Similar surfaces are expected during the tournament, and India has the right horses for such courses, as they say. With exactly 10 T20Is left - five in the ongoing series against South Africa and five more against New Zealand in January - the team is entering the final stretch of preparation for next year's blue-riband global cricket event.

Surya, however, brushed aside the talk that this series is part of the team's preparation for the World Cup. "Our 2026 T20 World Cup preparation began right after we won the T20 World Cup in 2024. Because for any big tournament, you cannot think that the tournament is here and you have to start preparing. It's like when we appear for exams in school, it is not like we try to study everything in the last four days. We study for a year or two. Our preparation is similar. The preparation started after the T20 World Cup 2024 got over. Since then, we have been trying new things and everything is working for us."

The skipper's assertion notwithstanding, the Indian team will still be looking closely at a few areas. The top order will be under particular scrutiny, with Shubman Gill returning from a neck injury. His fire-and-ice match-up with the explosive Abhishek Sharma will be central to India's plans, and this match - as well as the series - will give Gill the opportunity to complement the hard-hitting opener with his own style of controlled aggression.

Apart from Gill, the other major focus will be Hardik Pandya. Out of action since the Asia Cup, the all-rounder remains crucial to India's balance - opening the bowling alongside Jasprit Bumrah and slotting in at No. 6 with the bat. His presence is even more significant after the Nitish Kumar Reddy experiment as a pace-bowling all-rounder failed to take off.

India will need Pandya fit over the next three months, and, ironically, he was conspicuous by his absence at training on Monday after experiencing discomfort while bowling in the nets the previous evening. Sources said he is fine.

When: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 7 PM local time

Where: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack

What to expect: With a new red-soil base, the Barabati surface bears resemblance to the Wankhede track - a typical T20 wicket, full of runs. Having lost both of their previous games against South Africa at this venue, India will be keen to break the trend.

Team News

India

Players are all fit with slight uncertainty over Hardik Pandya, who experienced discomfort while bowling at the nets on Sunday evening. With Shubman Gill opening with Abhishek Sharma, there is unlikely to be a place in the XI for Sanju Samson. Shivam Dube will be the third pacer which means Arshdeep Singh may sit out.

Probable XI: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.

South Africa

Aiden Markram is back as South Africa captain for the T20Is after being rested for the limited-overs series against Pakistan a few weeks back. He's set to open with Quinton de Kock while it remains to be seen if Tony de Zorzi, who picked up an injury in the second ODI, has made sufficient recovery. Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs will form the middle order core along with David Miller, who is set to return after a hamstring injury forced him to miss the Pakistan series. Among the bowlers, Anrich Nortje is set to make his first international appearance since the 2024 T20 World Cup final against India. Nortje might prove useful early on against Shubman Gill, having dismissed the Indian opener 4 times in 7 innings in T20 cricket, while he has also accounted for India captain Suryakumar Yadav twice in six innings.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje

Did you know

At the Barabati Stadium, India have played two T20Is against SA and lost both (while defending), in 2015 and 2022 respectively

Jasprit Bumrah, currently on 99 T20I wickets, is set to become just the fifth bowler to 100 wickets in all three formats.

Hardik Pandya, who currently has 98 wickets in the format, is on the verge of another milestone.

What did they say

I feel in the last 5-6 series which we have played, we have tried and played with a similar combination. We have not changed too much. We don't want to change a lot even going into the next two series also. The only thing is what type of cricket we want to play. That is one thing which we always want to try and do when we take the field. Rest, we don't want to change anything about what is happening: Suryakumar Yadav about India's team combination

It's great that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not part of the T20I side, but still it's a great Indian team. T20 is a different battle altogether. We will approach it with a different plan. I won't speak about records, but tomorrow we will try to give our best and enjoy the game: Aiden Markram on the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from India's T20I side

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Tait embraces 'challenge' as Bangladesh eye series win

Tait embraces 'challenge' as Bangladesh eye series win

Bangladesh won the second game and will be looking to seal the series.

Bangladesh pace bowling coach Shaun Tait on Monday urged his side to not take Ireland for granted but at the same pointed out the need to not complicate things in the three-match T20I series decider at Chattogram, scheduled on December 2.

The series, which will be Bangladesh's last bilateral T20 assignment before the T20 World Cup in February, is currently tied at 1-1 as the hosts fought back after going down in the opening game. "Ireland has played some good cricket and they've got some good players. They look like they've got a really organized T20 team," said Tait adding that they are happy to be challenged.

"For us, we want the good challenge. That's what we want. Our next series is a World Cup, and it doesn't get any bigger than that for T20 cricket. I think we don't need to complicate our thoughts too much. I think we just need to play good cricket and win the game," he said.

"Every time you win a match, every time you win an international match, you gain some confidence out of that."

Tait also heaped praise on Mustafizur Rahman for remaining calm despite all the noise that comes his way playing international cricket. "Fizz is full of experience and he keeps everything very simple," said Tait.

"He (Mustafizur) knows his strengths. He has played all over the world. He has set high standards and people expect good performances from him. He has always performed well because that is what the best players do. From the IPL to everywhere else, teams want him because he is a quality world class player," he said adding that he also has been in regular communication with Taskin Ahmed, who is currently playing the T10 League in Dubai.

"I saw Taskin playing in the T10," Tait said. "I have a great relationship with him. He is an important player for us, a senior player and a good leader. We speak regularly. He is not just a fast bowler, he is a leader. Everyone follows him. It is a pleasure to work with him. I first saw him many years ago and now he is a much better player, a leader. It is a privilege to have someone like him in the squad," he said.

Meanwhile, Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan said aggression will be the key as they seek a rare series win. "We did really really well over the last two games," said Malan. "We obviously haven't had the amount of cricket that we would have wanted throughout the year, but that's in the past. We are really focusing on where we are at.

"The T20 game has evolved massively. We really want to free our players to go out there and express themselves. Most of the time in this format you play on plastic surfaces and there are big runs scored. We've been very clear with that messaging - take the game on from ball one," he said.

The emergence of Tim Tector, who has impressed in his first two outings of the tour with his confident stroke play, is considered as one of the biggest positives for Ireland and Malan said he will back him to play his aggressive brand of cricket. "He (Tim Tector) has been doing really well back home and trying to break into the team and it's great to see that he goes out there and plays his natural game," he said.

"Hopefully, he (Tim Tector) can keep doing that tomorrow and as we head into the World Cup. We got a nice opportunity this afternoon to put some work into the areas we want to improve. Now it's about coming out here tomorrow and hopefully getting our goals done," he concluded.

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